


Forbidden Fruit

by Narglefanfics



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Abuse, Alcohol, Drugs, F/F, F/M, Gay, Goldenqueen, Sex, highschoolAU, swanqueen - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-21
Updated: 2020-04-22
Packaged: 2021-03-01 20:13:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,232
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23762887
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Narglefanfics/pseuds/Narglefanfics
Summary: Emma Swan, the new foster sister of Mary Margaret, feels like she finally has a home at her new school, Storybrooke High, until she meets Regina Mills, the most popular girl in school hell bent on making her life miserable. Darkness and secrecy surround Regina and as Emma quickly falls in love, she has to battle with school bullies, the infamous Richard Gold, and Regina's own stubborn heart that keeps pushing her away. Something in the world doesn't want them to be together, but Emma will be damned if she ever backed away from a challenge. (Slowburn SQ Endgame, GQ, AU)(This is a story posted to fanfiction.net five years ago that I'm updating)
Relationships: Evil Queen | Regina Mills/Emma Swan, Evil Queen | Regina Mills/Red Riding Hood | Ruby, Evil Queen | Regina Mills/Rumplestiltskin | Mr. Gold, Prince Charming | David Nolan/Snow White | Mary Margaret Blanchard
Comments: 4
Kudos: 13





	1. Birth of a Swan

**Author's Note:**

> I posted this on Fanfiction.net five years ago and never finished it. I finally read it again after probably four years and I really want to continue the story. What I’m posting now is an updated version because I wanted to change some things and I didn’t like the last few chapters of the original. Swanqueen is endgame. 
> 
> Warning: This story is dark and will contain images of violence, drugs, alcohol, sex, and abuse. I'll change the rating as needed.

So, this was Storybrooke. The small town was, admittedly, charming. Outside the car window, Emma saw house after house with neatly cut hedges and white picket fences. They all had matching cars parked out front and colorful, overflowing flower beds. The houses were no doubt home to board-game playing, eat-dinner-at-the-table type of families. Emma had seen the type before. After a few months, her new foster parents would see that she wasn't the right fit, then she would be shipped off to another cookie-cutter family. She could do it in her sleep by now.

"What do you think of Storybrooke, Emma?" The kindly woman who had picked her up, Johanna, asked from the front seat.

"It's alright." Emma shrugged, eager to show her new caretaker that she didn’t have any interest in the quaint town. 

“You’ll soon grow to love it here. It’s like one big family.” Johana smiled, her warmth literally radiating off her. ‘Family,’ Emma sighed. ‘Yeah, right.’ 

They soon came to a neighborhood of even larger houses than before, and Emma was awe-struck all over again. "That house is huge," She gasped, forgetting her stubborn stance to not show any admiration of Storybrooke.

"That's the mayor's house." Johanna chuckled.

"I wouldn't call that a house. It's more like a mansion." Emma exclaimed, then caught Johanna smiling at her through the rear-view mirror. She quickly turned away, looking outside once more, but she couldn’t hide the small smile of excitement that tugged at her lips. A few houses down from the mayor's, Johanna pulled into the garage of a plainer, yet more inviting two-story house. They exited the car and Emma grabbed her backpack and black trash bag out of the trunk, eager to get inside and escape the night air. The interior of the house was just what you’d expect and as they made their way into the hallway, someone came running down the stairs to greet them.

"Johanna, you're back!" A loud squeal echoed down to them.

"Mary Margaret, this is Emma." The girl enthusiastically padded down the wooden stairs and jumped to a stop right in front of them. Johanna placed a caring hand on Emma's shoulder, while Emma smiled awkwardly. This was a moment she didn’t think she’d ever get used to. Now, she just had to wait to be told all the chores off the house, what bedroom she’d share, and how she had to stay quite unless spoken to. 

"I know who you are," Mary Margaret smiled sweetly. Her cheeks were a little red, but Emma imagined that they were always flushed with excitement. "I'll show you to your room." She said enthusiastically, taking hold of Emma's hands. "We'll retire for the night, Johanna. Goodnight, see you in the morning."

"Goodnight, Mary. Goodnight, Emma."

"Night," Emma called behind her as Mary Margaret rushed her away. After the set of stairs and two rounded corners (the house was surprising large for how it looked on the outside), Mary brought her to a large room that was subtly decorated in the color lilac. A beautiful handmade quilt rested on the decent sized bed and all the windows were lit with the streetlamps from outside. It was nicer than any room Emma had ever stayed in before. And it was all hers. She couldn’t believe it. 

"My room is right next door." Mary said quickly, looking as if she was trying not to get ahead of herself. "The bathroom is right down the hall. Sorry, we have to share it." Emma had never seen someone so excited to be getting a new kid in the house before.

"It's... Cool. Thanks," Emma tossed her backpack and trash bag on the bed and began pulling out clothes and stuffing them in the wooden dresser. The pixie-cut brunette stood near the doorway, wringing her hands together as she watched Emma unpack.

"Um, school starts tomorrow and since your cars not here yet, you can ride with me, if you want… Is that all you have?” She clearly hesitated, but curiosity got the best of her. 

"Yeah, not a lot of space to collect stuff with all the moving around. And thanks, sounds good." Emma pulled out a knitted blanket and laid it over the bed. Mary looked at it curiously. "It's my baby blanket." Emma explained sheepishly. "I like to keep it with me."

"That’s sweet," Mary said fondly. Emma was glad she didn't think sleeping with her baby blanket was weird. “If you want, this weekend we can go shopping. The Storybrooke Mall is a little run down, but it has an awesome food court. Everyone usually hangs out there on the weekends, anyway.” Wow, an actual invitation to hang out with someone. Emma paused in her packing, hands wrapped nervously around a red jacket.

“Sure, that sounds great.” She smiled. 

"And I’ll introduce you to everyone tomorrow. All the students at Storybrooke High are really nice. Except for some people, of course, but then again, those people aren’t really my friends… and I’m sure you’ll love all the teachers…” Mary began rambling, then noticed how Emma had resumed packing. “Oh, um, I guess you'll want some privacy." She said with a start.

"Yeah, the ride here was long." Emma yawned dramatically, moving her backpack to the floor. Mary Margaret nodded.

"See you in the morning! Johanna always makes the best pancakes!" Despite Mary Margaret's kindness and surprising hospitality, Emma was glad to finally be left alone. She sat down on the bed, letting her hands wander over the softness of her blanket, her fingers lingering on the words 'Emma.' She couldn't help but wonder how long all of this would last. 'Sooner or later they'll decide they don't want me, so better not get comfortable,' She thought to herself, but the warm smile of Mary Margaret told her otherwise. Her new foster sister seemed too kind not to like her, but experience proved that eventually everyone got tired of the new foster kid. Emma sighed. 'Not this time. I want to be happy here.' She got up to turn off the light and danced out of her jeans on the way back to her bed. The blankets were nice and warm when she curled up underneath them. Usually, she wasn’t able to sleep on her first night in a new home, but that night, she had the best sleep of her life. 

The next morning, Emma woke to bright sunshine from the large windows in her room. She yawned and stretched her arms wildly as she sat up, glancing at the digital clock on her nigh stand. ‘6:02. Christ.’ A pleasant scent was drafting in from the kitchen, which urged Emma to brush her teeth, throw on a clean pair of jeans and a shirt, and race downstairs. Just as Mary Margaret had said, Johanna was over the stove, happily cooking a hearty breakfast of pancakes, eggs, and bacon. Mary was already seated and gulping down a glass of orange juice.

"Oh! Emma, I forgot to tell you that I go to school early because I'm one of the middle school teacher's assistants. So… we need to leave in a few minutes, sorry!"

Johanna handed Emma a plate and she began scarfing down the good food. "This is great," Emma praised through a mouthful of pancake. "Let me run upstairs and get my backpack really quick. I'll get ready in the car."

"I'm sorry, Emma." Mary apologized. Emma gave her a thumbs up before running upstairs to grab her things, bacon still hanging from her mouth. In the car, Emma brushed at her tangled hair briskly. It was a ten-minute drive, so she had just enough time to look decent and apply eyeliner.

"So, Johanna, is she, like, your... Mom?" Emma asked over the sounds of her hair breaking. There was a pause before Mary answered.

"She's my nanny. My mother passed away seven years ago," Mary kept her eyes on the road as she answered. Storybrooke was still dark at this time, but every second that passed revealed a beautiful array of pinks and blues in the sky. 

"I'm sorry, I didn't know." A rush of guilt came over Emma. Mary smiled back at her.

"It's okay. My father is very sick and currently being hospitalized. Johanna takes care of me, and now you too." Emma glanced away from the car mirror to see Mary's expression. She must have been a warrior to handle what life had thrown at her. Emma's respect for her grew immensely.

"My parents gave me up right after I was born. What made your dad want a foster kid, anyway?" Emma asked while applying mascara. It was a difficult task while in the car. Mary shrugged.

"Daddy must have thought I was getting lonely." She blushed as soon as she said it, then began stumbling over her words. "I mean, sometimes things just happen, you know. I'm not sure, but I'm glad you're here. Sorry about your parents." Emma dismissed it.

"Don't worry about it, and me too." She smiled. They pulled up to the school parking lot, which was empty except for a beat-up red car. The school looked ancient, but bright and welcoming in the new light of the sun.

"That's Ruby's car. She works at the diner and we’ve been best friends since middle school." Mary explained as they parked next to it. They both got out of the car and Mary headed straight for Ruby's window. "Hey, Rubes!" Mary shouted as she knocked on the window. It took a second for the girl inside to manually roll her window down. Loud music blasted out at them before 'Rubes' turned it down.

"Hey, Mare. Who's that behind you?" Ruby questioned, craning her head out the window. Emma was distracted by her bright lips and matching red highlights. She definitely was a catch, but with a little too much Hot Topic for Emma’s taste. 

"This is Emma, my new foster sister. Do you mind keeping her company while I help out Ms. Rose?" Mary asked sweetly, though everything the girl did could be described as sweet. Emma stared into the distance. She hated being a nuisance.

"No prob. We haven't had new meat in forever." Ruby killed the engine and rolled up her window before leaving the car. 'Dang,' were the first words to come to Emma's mind. Next to Mary Margaret's sundress, cardigan, and Mary Janes, Ruby looked like a Victoria’s Secret catalogue, with her short shorts, high heels, and red jacket lined with faux fur that covered up a thin tank top. Did this school not have a dress code? And was she not freezing? Ruby put on a pair of black shades as she looked Emma up and down.

"Thanks, well, I'll see you in a bit, Emma. Don’t worry, Ruby will take great care of you." Mary Margaret waved them off before running towards the elementary building. Ruby popped a big bubble of gum in response. 

"I don't know why she works so hard." Ruby commented as she motioned for Emma to follow her to the high school building. Out front were a few benches and Ruby leaned back on one, propping one knee up as she stared at Emma with barely held back interest. Emma followed her example.

"So, why do you get here so early?" Emma finally broke the silence to ask, politely declining Ruby's offer of a cigarette. Ruby shrugged as she placed her gum under the bench and took a huff, placing the pack back in her jacket and letting the grey smoke blow through her teeth before answering.

"My gran opens the diner early, so I like to get out of the house, so she won't ask me to work." Ruby took another puff. “Plus, I like a quick smoke before class." 

“Makes sense.” Emma replied. “My car is still back at my old house, but someone is bringing it soon, so I won’t have to ride with Mary Margaret every morning. I’m more of a get-to-school-last-minute kind of gal.” 

“I wish. Gran would never let me not wake up at the ass crack of dawn. I swear, I haven’t had a full eight hours of sleep in years.” Emma noticed that Ruby seemed so cool, and starting a new school was terrifying enough without the pressure of walking in without any friends. So, she was glad Mary introduced them. Ruby didn’t seem like the type that Mary would get along with, but maybe that’s what made their friendship so strong. Opposites attract. A loud groan from Ruby brought Emma out of her thoughts of her new friend. She followed Ruby's eyes and saw a black Mercedes parking.

"Heck of a car," Emma commented. Ruby groaned again before throwing another piece of gum in her mouth and dropping the cigarette.

"Heck of a bitch who drives it too," She snarked, positively steaming as a long leg stepped out of the car. Emma was struck breathless at the woman who came after it. She looked like she was carved out of porcelain, like she should be on the cover of every fashion magazine. Her short, ebony hair sculpted her face and her makeup was meticulously done. The long coat she was wearing flapped behind her, showing off a short blue dress as she strutted towards them. Her killer heels were just short of the height of Ruby's. 'Holy hell.'

"She's coming this way," Emma gulped, still staring at the sight before them.

"You're drooling." Ruby pointed out. Emma quickly wiped at her mouth before she heard Ruby growl, "Regina fucking Mills," by way of greeting. Emma looked up to see the woman already stopping in front of them. This Regina Mills looked even more like a goddess up close.

"My mother isn't putting money into this school so people like you can run around vandalizing it." Regina said in a voice that was confident, poisonous, and seductive all at the same time. Even the smile she gave Ruby was laced with venom. "And do watch your tongue, dear." Ruby was about to say something, no doubt vulgar, but Regina's dark eyes turned to Emma. "It’s not often we get a new student. And who might you be?" Emma could feel her cheeks turning red under the intense gaze of Regina’s dark eyes.  


"Emma Swan." She lifted her chin, trying to play it cool.  


"Charming. How good to know that you've already found the deadbeat of the school." Her wicked eyes glanced dismissively to Ruby before returning their glare to Emma. “Watch out, you may catch something.” She smirked. Ruby tensed next to Emma, but otherwise kept quiet, despite her murderous eyes from behind her sunglasses. Regina’s smile was plastered on all the same, as if they were discussing shoes or boys, or whatever it was girls talked about. 

"Seems like I've found the major bitch too," Emma shot back when she realized Ruby wasn’t going to say anything. Regina Mill's eyes darkened even further, and her smile dropped before she turned to Ruby.

"I'm expected somewhere, or I'd love to finish our little chat. Keep this mutt on her leash or she'll find herself in trouble." Emma watched, seething, as Regina strutted away, her sickly-sweet voice echoing in her ears.

"You need a leash, lady!" She shouted back. It wasn't the best comeback, but at least she got the last word. 

"Still think she's drop-dead gorgeous?" Ruby huffed, pulling out her cellphone. There was a considerable amount of pain in her voice and Emma wondered why she had sat there and taken Regina’s assault of her character. Needless to say, Emma was stunned how someone so beautiful could have such an awful personality. 

"What's her damage? I haven't done anything to her." Emma asked, watching Regina disappear into the school.

"Regina Mills is a fucking nightmare. I don't know what she's doing calling me a deadbeat when she's always locking lips with Gold." Ruby made a gag face before putting her phone away. "Mare said she'd meet us here. People usually start showing up by now." Emma just noticed the extra cars parked in the parking lot, yet none as nice as the Mercedes.

"Who's Gold?" Emma questioned, watching students mingle around cars before heading into the school.

"How do I even begin to explain Gold... He's the type of guy to come to class drunk or high, when he does show up, make hundreds of dollars in back alley deals, and cheat you out of the clothes off your back and make you pay for them back. Yet he still has a perfect record and even more perfect grades. I'm so jealous."

"Yikes. I can't picture Regina liking a guy like that." Despite the horrible encounter they just had, a small pit of disappointment formed in Emma’s belly at the thought of Regina liking guys. It was a good thing, though. Emma didn't do relationships and Regina Mills seemed untouchable, anyway. Emma even doubted being her girlfriend and getting into her pants would be all that great. It most definitely wouldn't be worth it.

"Yeah, well, you can never tell what she's really into." Ruby huffed, once again on her phone. Emma was hoping Ruby would explain, but Mary Margaret walked up, cheeks flushed from the wind. "Had a run-in with the Evil Queen," Ruby rolled her eyes as she stood up and tossed her fur bag over her shoulder. Once again, Emma found herself following Ruby’s example.

"Oh! Are you alright, Emma?" Mary asked, her brows furrowing in concern as Ruby walked ahead of them. "Regina can strike quite a bit of... well, fear."

"Not today. This girl was on fire! Emma called Regina a bitch right to her face!" Ruby exclaimed ahead of them, her fist pumped in the air, making her bracelets jingle. Mary Margaret looked shocked like Emma had just sprouted another head, but after they caught up with Ruby, all was explained. Mary said it was the right thing to do and even congratulated Emma on the event. She said that not many people defended themselves against the 'Evil Queen.' 

Emma's classes were exactly what she had expected, so she was bored throughout most of them. Regina was in a lot of her classes, which was great because she could spend her time observing the brunette, but also potentially detrimental to her grades because the woman was distracting as hell. The bright side was that she found out a lot of things this way. Regina's posture looked uncomfortably immaculate. She was focused one hundred percent of the time. And she seemed to loathe when the class got off topic due to someone's silly comment. She also used a ball-point pen with black ink and wrote her notes in cursive. Emma wasn't obsessed. She just wanted to know why Regina Mills was such a hard ass.

During lunch, Emma met Ashley and her boyfriend, Sean, who was on the football team. Ashley was a chill blonde, not as intense as Ruby, but not as innocent as Mary Margaret. She definitely evened out the friend group. Mary was strangely quiet throughout lunch, always staring off into the distance. Emma finally figured out that she was staring at Regina, who was at a table in the far corner, no food in front of her but with what looked like a protein shake in her hand. Her table was full of other beautiful people lost in conversation, but Regina’s was the only smile that seemed fake. Emma wondered if anyone else could tell. 

"Is that Gold? The dark-skinned guy?" Emma asked the group, who all looked over to Regina's table. Ashley laughed.

"That's Sydney Glass, A.K.A, Regina's stalker. She only keeps him around because he's head of the school newspaper and will do whatever she says."

"Oh," Emma said, a little embarrassed. Ashley must have loved the change of topic because she began describing everyone at Regina's table.

"The girl all over David is Kathryn, the nag with the bad attitude. They're dating. David is on the football team with Sean." Her tone turned to baby talk and she gave a loving kiss to Sean's cheek, at which Ruby gagged. "Oh, Shut up."

"I'm just glad they had an open spot this year." Sean commented. Everyone at the table, except Emma, exchanged looks.

"What?"

"Nothing, Emma. I'm not finished." Ashley protested. "Where was I? Right, Melanie. She's the one with the big hair and is cheer captain. You would think that Melanie would be Regina's right-hand woman, but she's in a league of her own, just like Regina. I think they only tolerate each other because they're both popular."

"This is a little 'Mean Girls,' don't you think?" Emma joked. 

“Where do you think they got the idea for the movie?” Ruby smirked. “Next to Melanie is Cruella.” 

“That’s not her name.” Mary interjected, as if she always had to remind them.

“Fine. It’s Christy. But she looks like she kills puppies in her free time.” Ruby corrected. 

“Christy is kind of just… there. For the dirty work. And she’s loud. But her daddy has a lot of money, so she makes the cut. And then there’s Ursula.” Ashley continued. Emma waited for Mary to correct her, but it seems Ursula was actually the girl’s name. "She’s head of the yearbook committee and just waiting for Regina to fall so that she can take her place. But it won’t happen.” She continued matter-of-factly. “Regina rules this school. Hands down. Everyone wants to either be her or fuck her.” She glanced to Ruby with a smirk. “Or both.”

“Oh, whatever.” Ruby scoffed. “Everyone may worship her, but we’re all just waiting secretly for someone to knock her off her high horse. Just you wait. I think this will be the year.” 

“If Gold has anything to say about it, it will be.” Ashley laughed, turning her attention back to Sean and playing with his jacket. 

“That group is as toxic as it gets and has its own hierarchy that I can never keep up with.” Ruby stabbed at a potato.

“Really? Seems like you know a lot for someone who doesn’t keep up with it.” Mary quirked an eyebrow.

“Okay, fine. I admit it, I’m a Regina-junkie. But what else is there to do in this town?” Ruby exclaimed, stealing one of Mary’s fries. Emma gave one last look at the group they had just dissected and turned back to her own friends. She was quick on the path to being a Regina-junkie herself. 

During her last class, Emma decided that the best part of the day was meeting her new friends. After the bell rang to let them out, Ruby invited Emma to come to her Gran's diner after class because Mary forgot to mention that she had to stay after school to tutor kids. Ashley worked there too and apparently Granny’s Diner was the prime spot for even more gossip, though Emma’s head was still spinning from all the information given at lunch.


	2. Granny's

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma spends after school at Granny's and has her second run-in with Regina.

The floorboard of Ruby's car was cluttered with old Monster cans and empty cigarette boxes. Emma had to push the trash off to the side to make room for her feet.

"Sorry for the mess," Ruby apologized, starting the car up. "Gran stopped paying for gas, so I'm on strike."

"You haven’t seen my car.” Emma joked, knowing it was usually a lot cleaner than this, but not knowing what to say. “Hey, nice music." She commented, going through the C.D. binder. "The Beatles, Pink Floyd, The Eagles..." Ruby shrugged.

"That’s all Gran's old stuff. I like rock." The brunette turned on the radio and Green Day began blasting from the speakers. Emma entertained herself with the old CD's until they pulled up to Granny's. The parking lot was almost completely full and lots of students were already mingling outside.

"Everyone comes here after school. It’s great for business," Ruby grinned. Emma was glad to hear pride in her voice. Ruby waved and greeted a lot of people before finally leading Emma into the actual restaurant. Granny's looked like your typical diner, with lights hanging from the ceiling and tiled floors, but Emma could tell that the place was special. It had a unique, welcoming feeling to it. The forest wallpaper was pretty cool, too. Ruby led Emma into the back of the cafe where Ashley was putting on a red apron.

"Granny’s in a rush today," She rolled her eyes before hurrying out. Ruby groaned and began tying on a matching apron. The apron was longer than her shorts. 

"Make yourself comfortable, Ems. It won't be long before my break." Emma nodded then made her way to the main part of Granny's. ‘Ems,’ was officially her first nickname. She smiled to herself, then went up to the counter and ordered a hot chocolate with cinnamon and fries on the side. Ruby winked and had it ready in no time. Finding an empty seat was hard enough, but eventually a couple left, and Emma got a booth all to herself. Not sure of what to do next, she pulled out one of her schoolbooks and thought she should at least get started on her homework. It was important to keep up her grades, after all, if she had any intentions of staying in Storybrooke.

Emma was bored out of her mind by the time Ashley and Ruby got their fifteen-minute break. They made the most of their short time and gossiped on the stairs out back, Ruby having another smoke. Emma was never one to gossip, but it seemed to be the favorite pastime in Storybrooke, and she found it easy, and even kind of fun, to participate. They mostly talked about Regina, to no surprise. 

"I hate that smug smirk she has on all the time. It's only because her mom is mayor and her dad is principal. Take that away and she has nothing." Ruby complained over a cigarette.

"Take that away and she still has her huge house, amazing car, expensive wardrobe, and killer shoes." Ashley replied like this was a subject she and Ruby discussed every day. Ruby groaned.

"I'm glad Gold is ruining her. If he weren’t the worst thing possible for her, I'd be the one to blab to Mommy-dearest this time." Emma was glad to sit and listen to them talk, but she was getting lost quickly. Ashley must have noticed her confused expression because she specifically turned to face Emma.

"She and Regina had a fling, before Ruby got dumped for Daniel," The perky blonde explained. Ruby stared into the woods, her black shades covering up her real feelings.  


"I didn't know she liked girls." Emma admitted, something strange stirring in her heart.  


"Liked. One day she's all over me and the next she's calling me a fuck up and hooking up with that dumbass football player. She only used me to get back at her parents, or whatever. Who knows, but I thought that what we had was real... The heartless bitch." Ruby reminisced over her cigarette. "I'm glad we're over. It was two years ago, anyway and you saw how she treated me today."

"Yeah, she's kind of intense. Like your gran." The other girls burst into laughter at Emma’s joke and soon Emma joined them, happy to have friends to call her own. 

"Then marks the Great Six Months of Peace, for everyone, but Ruby Lucas, and Ruby's wardrobe change. Then-" Ashley began, but was cut off by Granny poking her head out the door.

"Break time is over, girls! And if I catch you smoking again Ruby you’ll be grounded for a month!" The “intense” grandmother shouted, then slammed the door behind her. Ruby sniggered as she followed after the old-timer, dropping her cigarette to the ground, and stamping it out. Ashley and Emma shared a knowing glance and laughed. 

"Tell you later," Ashley whispered as they headed back in. Emma sat back down in her booth, contemplating what she had heard. The after-school rush was over, so the diner was mostly empty, except for a handful of customers and a few people already drinking at the bar. Emma really wanted to know who Gold and Daniel were. She also wished she knew how to feel about Ruby having dated Regina. Wasn't it girl code not to have a crush on your girlfriend's ex? Having friends was new, so Emma was figuring things out as she went. She was also battling feelings of jealousy. Ruby and Regina definitely must have made a hot couple.

It was close to five when a bell signaled the arrival of Regina Mills, who’s long legs brought her up to the counter with grace and ease. Emma, who had been playing around with the dart board, stopped her game to watch. 

"The usual, Granny." Regina ordered in a tired tone that still managed to hold all of its coldness. Granny nodded and put two cups under the coffee machine.

"How's your mother?" Granny asked, following an obvious routine that happened every day. 

"Mother is fine. Busy as usual. I'll tell her you say hello." Regina’s lips pressed into a small smile and she leaned against the counter as she waited. Emma got a better view of her legs this way.

"Here you go, Miss Mills." Granny handed over the two cups of coffee and a free cookie wrapped in plastic wrap. Regina placed a shiny black credit card in the elderly woman's hand to pay, then swiftly exited once the transaction was completed. Some force beyond Emma’s control had her rushing after the powerful woman.

"Regina, wait!" Emma called out, stopping just outside the diner. Regina stiffened, then slowly turned around. Her stare was clueless and annoyed, like she was trying to place where they had met before. "Emma Swan. We met this morning, remember? I’m the new kid who called you a bitch." Regina's eyes darkened as she remembered.

“Ah, yes. How could I forget.” Her short hair blew in the wind, making it even more difficult for Emma to say what she wanted to say. What was that again? Oh, right. She didn’t know because she rushed after Regina like a maniac. “And you’re speaking to me because…” Regina tilted her head slightly, her words slipping off her tongue like a viper’s venom.

“I wanted to apologize.” Emma blurted off the top of her head. “I don’t know you, so it’s not right for me to have called you that. Even though, in all fairness, you were pretty mean to my friend.” She laughed awkwardly. “But hey, we all have our thing.” Emma was becoming aware of how much like prey she felt under Regina’s killer gaze and it made her shift in her Converse. 

“My ‘thing’ is none of your concern. This is a waste of a conversation and my precious time.” She haughtily whipped around and began walking to her car. Emma followed after her once again, this time slyly stepping in front of her to cut off her path.

"I'm just asking you not to hate me unless I give you a reason to." She tried one more time. 

"If I recall correctly, you called me a bitch." Regina said simply, her eyes murderous.

"Yeah, and you called my friend a deadbeat and me a mutt. So, we’re even." Emma smiled, placing her hands in her pockets. Regina leaned in, teeth barred in a threatening smile.

“I don’t play to get even, Miss Swan. I play to win. Now, are you going to get in my way?” She asked, lips in a teasing pout and tone of voice going up. Emma gulped, her eyes glancing down to the painted dark lips that were so close she could lean in and kiss the other woman with ease. 

“No, I guess not.” She finally said, stepping to the side so Regina could reach her car. “And the name is Emma.”

“Like I care,” Regina snarled, tossing the homemade cookie in the garbage as she passed by.

“That’s a waste of a perfectly good cookie!” Emma shouted, feeling completely ignored as Regina didn’t pay her a second glance.  
Thankfully, right when Regina left the parking lot, Mary Margaret pulled up in her old Jeep Wagoner.

"Emma, sorry, I'm late. Was that-?"

"Yeah," Emma sighed. "I don’t know why she hates me so much. I literally just met her." Mary gave her a pitying look.

"She hates everyone. It’s part of her curse. I'm going to run in and say hi to Ruby, be right back." Mary's time inside Granny's was longer than a quick hi, but Emma was just fine waiting outside. Ten minutes later, Mary came out apologizing, saying the time had gotten away from her. Emma had to tell her it was okay over and over again before she let it go.

Besides Johanna's amazing dinner, not much happened for the rest of the day. That night, Emma was curled up on Mary’s bed getting to know her better. They actually had a lot in common. They both loved animals, police shows, and doing their own versions of food challenges, like trying to stuff a dozen large marshmallows in their mouths. 

"You seem a little taken with Regina." Mary pointed out in her sweet way, finally getting to the good stuff. They were both laying on their backs and staring at the glow-in-the-dark stars on the ceiling.

"I just want to know what her deal is. People who are hurtful like that usually have something they're hiding. Something deep and painful." 

"That's romantic." Mary said in a hushed voice. "Regina hasn’t always been this way. Sure, she’s always been untouchable, but… Well, you know her smiles are fake, right?” Mary suddenly rolled onto her stomach, looking at Emma like she was sharing her biggest conspiracy theory. “She used to smile, actually smile, all the time. Then as we grew up, she became more distant and began talking only to Melanie and her little posse. The Regina as we know her was slowly being born through Prada, diamonds, and her little flings all throughout the school. She was on top of the world, even if she was a, you know... b-i-t-c-h.” Emma chuckled at Mary’s refusal to say bad words. “Then something happened, and it ruined everything. It's been a little over a year now, but she hasn't been the same since."

"Ruby mentioned something like that. What happened?" Emma sat up to grab another fistful of popcorn and shovel it into her mouth. "Did she have a bad breakup or something, so Gold is her rebound?"

"Not exactly...No one really talks about it, but I guess someone has to tell you." Mary sat up too, a very serious expression on her face as she faced Emma. "First, you have to know that Regina's mom is the mayor."

"Yeah and that explains so much already," Emma smirked.

"The mayor is a very strict woman. I heard she's been pushing Regina to marry right after she graduates. To someone rich or something."

"Sick."

"I know. Anyway, you can imagine what it must be like for Regina to date anyone, which is why she’s always had to sneak around. Two years ago, at the start of the tenth grade, she messed around with Ruby a bit before falling madly in love with this guy on the football team, Daniel. We were all so shocked because Regina became a different person. She was kind again, happy… and I actually saw her eat food at lunch. Regina planned to run away with Daniel to get married, but Cora found out. I heard she was really angry at first but invited Daniel over for dinner to see if they could talk it out. This was right before the school let out for the summer. Something happened at that dinner and Daniel died in Regina's arms." Emma’s mouth hung open at the story's horrible ending.

"No way. That's crazy."

"When junior year started, Regina was angry at the world and took it out on everyone. She still does. And this summer she started seeing Richard Gold." Mary grabbed another handful of popcorn. Emma reached for more, but her fingers scraped the bottom of the bowl.

"Ruby says he's bad news." Emma commented, glad to be able to contribute to the conversation.

"He is. He can give you practically anything you want: cheat sheets, study pills, drugs, but he charges you a heavy price. I don't know why Regina hangs out with him."

"You seem to really care for her," Emma noted oddly. Mary nodded, something close to guilt on her delicate features.

"We were best friends when we were little. We grew up together in ways that everyone else didn't because Johanna babysat her." Emma noticed a fondness in Mary's voice. She really was a sweet person. “She must be so terribly lonely right now…” Her voice trailed off. 

"Do you two ever talk anymore?” Emma asked, downing the rest of the soda on the nightstand. Clearly, they weren’t still friends. 

"Oh, no. She blames me for destroying her happiness." Mary laughed awkwardly, then began cleaning up the stray popcorn on the bed. 

"What did you do?"

"I...I'm the reason her mother found out about Daniel."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just have to say, I'm obsessed with Emma having friends for the first time, it is so sweet. <3 Thanks for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks so much for reading! I’m going to post updated chapters here as I write them, then just update the chapters on fanfiction.net without reposting. I couldn’t resist including most of our villains at the popular table, but hey, who said popularity couldn’t be messy? Aaand I'm really bad at tags XD. Anyway, hope you enjoyed it!


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